My Gear: Lenses

EF LENSES:

This is my collection of lenses that use an EF mount for Canon SLR cameras. I have been shooting with them for almost my entire career - first as a photographer, and then with video. EF glass is some of the sharpest out there, and works well whether you are shooting stills or motion.

Since I became involved in filmmaking, I have used Cine Lenses more and more often. These lenses are built differently than traditional still photography glass so that they function well for shooting films. They often have distance marks on both sides of the barrel (for an assistant to pull focus), hard stops on the focus ring (so that the distance marks are always accurate), a geared focus ring so that the lens can interact with a follow focus, and measurements of aperture in T-stops (instead of F-Stops).

V. Can you go into a little more depth regarding the 24-70 vs the 24-105. I have heard both opinions (some who swear by the 24-105 forsaking the 24-70 for it), but no opinion from anyone who has used both lenses for still and cinema purposes. In your opinion what makes the difference that leads you to say “Personally – I’ll take the f 2.8 24~70mm over this lens any day.”? Is it something tangible or is it just an intangible factor?

@Brett Flashnick, Well I own both – and ONLY use the 24~70mm 2.8… truth be told: outside of the 500mm f4 – I find f4 lenses too dark… I’ve also found that the 24~105mm can vignette wide open at 24mm a little bit – whereas the 24~70mm is flawless wide open at all focal lengths – so I’m sticking w/ the 24~70mm 2.8 myself – but as mentioned – others SWEAR by the 24~105mm 4 – so I think there might be some bias on my part for liking to shoot at f 2.8 – especially w/ low light in video mode with the HDDSLRs.

@Vincent Laforet, Thanks for additional information about those to lenses. From what I have discerned it seems to come down to a matter of personal preference. I guess its time to get both lenses in hand simultaneously and formulate an opinion of my own.

I’ve been considering purchasing a 500mm f/4 IS for some time now and am about to jump in. You and others mention the ability to hand hold it for photography, but I’m curious what your experience on how to best support this beast for video? Any thoughts on what would be most portable but still allow for smooth video movement? Does a Wimberly head and some high quality carbon fiber Gitzo sticks do the trick?

I’ve done a lot of searching and can’t find the answer for video.

Thanks for taking the time to put all of this together and leave it open for comments. You are, and have made, an amazing resource.

Excellent review. I can only drewl at those Zeiss compact primes – for $24000 and up they’re a bit out of my league.

You called the 85 F1.2 a jewel. I have it, but I find the focus ring way too loose, which is why I rarely reach for it. How’s your experience with that aspect? Should I just throw it into my bag more often?

@Richard van den Boogaard, If anything – I find the focusing on the 85mm 1.2 a bit SLOW… is that what you mean by loose? That’s a good thing – but hard for rack focuses unless you can use a geared Follow-Focus rig…

As you are person who uses almost every good glases . How do you think the quality between zoom’s and primes in general . Is there a significant difference if you take 2 lenses lets say canon 24 2.8 vs canon 24-70 2.8

@Rupak Anto, Yes – on the edges – if you’re making large prints you’ll definitely notice. In general the primes are much sharper in general – BUT – there is software out there that does some pretty amazing stuff to sharpen the softer zooms… so it all depends on what you need…

@Vaibhav, yes, it’s 560mm. Vincent probably did the math real fast in his head when writing, because a crop camera like the 7D is 1.6x which would give you 640mm. I’m sure he’s thought of the crop conversion so often that 400–>640 is burned into his memory! NOW, mount that 400mm on a 7D with a 1.4x and you get the equivalent of 896mm at f/4! WOW!
BUT, I still prefer the full frame of my 5D Mark II user… no more math on the lenses! 24mm is 24mm, 200mm is 200mm, no thinking about it, lol!

Hello Vincent
I was wondering-have you ever tried the new 70-200/f4IS? (not the first generation f4 but the latest f4IS)

I have been carrying the old 2.8 for many years (since the Fuji RVP50 days), but after the new f4IS I think that I no longer need it. I shoot professionally with the 1D (1.3 sensor), I don’t shoot video, and I use the 70-200 a lot. Am I missing something?

What do you think of using older canon or nikon fd lens’s on a 7d for shooting films? It seems to me like they would be good because they have hard stops at infinity and macro as well as he focus ring spins quite far compared to a newer USM lens.

Not sure you’ll get around to answering this one, but I’m wondering which EF lenses lend themselves best to pulling focus for video. IE, which have the longest pull on the focus ring, bringing some of the advantage from the zeis CPs. The TS-90 for example has a long pull (and therefore finer focus control) compared to the 24-105.

Hey Vince. Quick question for you. I’m shooting on a Panasonic HMC-150 and want to migrate to the next Canon HDSLR whenever it comes out. I curious what lenses you would recommend someone to get when they are starting out with video?

Vincent your knowledge and gadgetry are unsupassable and its wonderful that you share ..I have recently started to using the 7D to shoot video, but find that the camera heats up pretty quickly due to the battery – what external battery would you suggest and how do you hook it up – thanks much for your help !

@Brian Hendler, Thank you Brian! The truth is: there is nothing you can really do to attenuate this that much… and the 7D is the worse of the 3 Canon bodies (5D/1DMKIV/7D) in terms of over heating… Ideally you swap out bodies every hour – Shane Hurlbut does that – but I’ve never had to. I did have it overheat a few times – and I shut it down for a few minutes. I also put a bag of ice on the body once and it worked…

I do use the Viewfactor Contineo cage to power my 7D and 5D – I can’t make any claim as to the overheating issue (I think it’s a sensor issue not a body issue) – but it’s how I use these bodies and power them w/ Anton Bauer batts… check the “My Gear” section and you’ll find the cage and batteries there – v

You’ve got a great selection of gear, but you miss out the two genuinely special Canon EF lenses: the 50mm f/1.0 and the 200 f/1.8, both discontinued now. I’m lucky enough to own both: the 50mm f/1 is finnicky all as hell to get good results with, but there is something about it that is genuinely magical and unique when you nail it. I have used the 1.2, and it doesn’t come close. Given your obvious large budget, I would really recommend you try and pick up one of each to play with.

As good as the EF 500mm f4 is, with the introduction of the new lightweight EF 400mm f2.8 II and the new 1.4x III teleconverter the quality levels and application options will more than likely outperform the 500mm. 400mm x 1.4 = 560mm f4 with outstanding resolution according to the Canon lens charts; given that price is no object. Also try 800mm f5.6 with the new 2x teleconverter!

I currently have a 5D Classic, a 50 1.8, 100 f/2, and a 70-200 f/4. I’m looking to get into magazine work or photojournalism after college, and since I’m a big admirer of your PJ and video work, I figured I’d ask you about lens choices. I’m thinking of a 24-70 to fill the wider/standard length. Would you recommend this or something else?

Also, I was wondering if you had any suggestions in regards to building a good portfolio for either of these outlets (photojournalism/magazines) I was thinking of seeking out stories throughout the city(baltimore), but I currently don’t have any means of publishing them.

I have a question that is hendering me from a purchase. The 50mm 1.2 is obviously the best choice out of the 50mm 1.4 and 50mm 1.8. However, I don’t have the money to purchase it. Between the 1.4 and 1.8, which is better in video quality?

I have 2 questions for you real quick –
1) I’m looking for lense to start shooting video
with and I currently have the 17-40L, the 50 1.4 and the 200 2.8 prime, I’ve been debating if I should get the 70-200 2.8 or the 100 2.8 macro – which one do you find more useful in the video aspect of shooting?
2) Have you come across any anamorphic lenses that work with the 5d MKII (either EF or FD compatible)?

Vincet howe are you? I know you might be busy preparing for the workshop with Chase, but i have a quick question to ask.
What is different between Zeiss CP2 85 f2.1 and canon EF 85 1.2?
I want it for video and we already planned to buy the Zeiss 35 CP2.
Do u have any video sample shot comparing both of them or sth?

don’t quite have the budget and just starting out,,, any thoughts on the Canon EF-S 18-200? I bought a 50 1.4 for my first lens( again budget preventing me from getting the 1.2),,, and thought the 18-200 would be a good walk around camera? i want to shoot a lot of video with both of them

Vincent,
Have you experienced focus shift problems with the Zeiss 50mm 1.4? And if so, What is your assesment of this? I am looking into perhaps buying one of the distagon wide angle lenses of theirs for my 5d mkii and have read that the focus issues can be annoying.

I worked with a set of Zeiss ZEs for 2-3 months and never experienced the problem. I have since shifted entirely to CP.2 lenses – so I can’t give you a long term opinion on it as a result. Fair enough?

Hi Vincent,
You should try some of the Hasselblad lenses [Zeiss] with EOS adapter. My go-to is the 50mm/2.8 [equiv to 35mm], absolute favourite is 110mm f2 [will blow your mind with actors head/portraits], the 150/180mm are great for fashion runways. I find they give a more “organic” look with the 5d and 60d[need the swivel screen for filming restaurants].
rgds
Kostas Metaxashttp://www.exero.com

@Vincent Laforet, Hi…I have had this overheating problem several times…not only 7D but also 5D. The only camera that it doesn´t even starts to give any signals of over heating is the 1D MKIV. The problem seems to be not only the battery drainage but also and specially because we “force” the mirror to be up too long…of course together with the sensor the heat buiolds up quite fast. Another reason is that being a weather proof camera the heat doesn´t come out as the dust and moisture don´t get in…
We can´t have both things on the same camera. If Canon adds a cooler some ventilation etc…etc…we will loos the weather pfoof seal but also we will have a mucher higher price on these cameras.

A few months ago, I came across a video where you were speaking to a technician in regards to adjusting – fitting lenses to one of your cameras. I have a couple of Hasselblad lenses that I would like to have fitted to my 5D II and would like to see if that is doable.
Can you provide me with the contact info of that person. I can no longer find the initial video.

Awesome list of lenses, Vincent. Out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on other alternate lenses such as the Leica R line? I realize these are old lenses, somewhat difficult to find and limited it what can and can’t fit the 5D2. I’ve been experimenting with several Leica Rs modified with Leitax adapters and the images are ethereal.

Awesome stuff here. My major concern is that you targeted it at those with deep pockets. There is this category of DSLR filmmakers that want to buy a set of 3 fast primes for $1000 (not minding using adapters). In my opinion, this category constitutes almost 65% of DSLR owners.
They also need some advice.

I’m trying to share things I’m playing with – high end and low end and mid end – something for everyone. But I don’t want to try to write for only one market – I’m simply trying to share what I work on with people out there. I haven’t forgotten DSLRS… there just hasn’t been a big development in awhile now. If and when there is one – you can expect me to write about that too!

Hey Frank! I don’t own all of the gear on these pages! But – yes – I think you’re going to find it too dark… I’ve never liked an f4 lens shorter than 300mm… you always want to shoot in low light when you have shorter glass.. THAT BEING SAID: the newer bodies are giving you 1-2 more stops of light in terms of ISO performance… so this might not be as bad as I think…

@Vincent Laforet, Do you think there will be a big update soon with the DSLRs, such as 5D3? Do you think it’ll be another revolution, (eg. RAW) or just minor update? Phillip Bloom says you have all the answers… 😉

I am shooting video on Canon 5DMk2 I want the Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 85mm but the price is hefty and nearly twice the price of Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM. Can you explain the differences between these two lenses in regard to shooting video… please.

The Canon 85mm 1.2 II is a jewel of a lens. But it’s incredibly difficult to pull focus with it on a moving subject. The 85mm is wonderful (and a stop or so darker btw…) but I’d go w/ the Zeiss CP.2 hands down when you need to pull focus on an actor – nothing matters if everything is out of focus…

Hi ,
Could you give your thoughts on the Canon L 70-200mm non IS lens- for stills is it still a competitor if you don’t need IS a far as Image Quality and sharpness?
Other than IS what would be the noticeable shortcomings compared to the newer IS versions please?

The IS version was sharper than the non IS – but the latest version (II) of the IS – is INCREDIBLY sharp relative to all previous lenses. So there is a definite optical performance difference – for sure.

Hi Vincent,
Thanks for the all helpfull shares and answerss, I wanna make lens kit for my Canon5DMK2. I’m living in Turkey and here is hard to find cheap lenses from your packege (as you know taxes, shipping, etc.) thats why I wonder which brand must I have for lenses? Carl Zeiss or Canon ? I’m a videographer btw, for example first of I need a wide angle lens for low light (for indoor records) and what is the diffirence with this brands (canon and zarl zeiss) ? Color or sharpness ? what you prefer to me for video shooting?
PS: Actually I made introductory films for Hotels like this one “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpLxdDNN9ow” and this is my first film with my Canon5DMK2 btw. I was use only Canon 24-70 USM L 2.8 lens in this video and I think I dont like this lens for my job. Cuz, it is so darker for indoor works and for outdoor when I use with Jimmy Jib I must use infinty sharpness for to see all of area with F22 but this time quailty is gone be bad as you see. Do you have any advice for me about lenses for my works? Thanks for the answer already… (and sorry for my english)

A Big Thanks for the time and effort you put into sharing your huge knowledge and experience (when you could instead be making more money, or kicking back over a beer). Your generosity enables newbies like me to jump the gun and not waste resources on useless purchases and dead end experiments learning the hard way. The first movie I saw done HDSLR was your ground-breaking Reverie, which opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. I was hooked. Will definitely be purchasing your instruction vids and recommending them to all. Cheers mate! Paul Folley, Sydney, Australia.

Been following your work for a while and really enjoyed the format of “Visuals” on the iPad. Good stuff.
I use a 5DMII & AF100 (eagerly awaiting my Birger preorder 😉 But am looking for telephoto. I have the 70-200mm f2.8 L IS and 2x teleconverter. There are times I want more length. Im torn between upgrading to 70-200mm f2.8 II L IS (is it worth it? Will cost about $1000 if I sell mine and buy new) Or plunge and take your 500mm f4 L IS advice? I know its not totally apples to apples but this is my priority dilemma. Im sure I will use 70-200 either I or II more but….

Hello Vincent,
u r the godfather for all dslr video thx for u woork man u r inspiring and giving hope to others by u r work
iam a film director
i do features , i have 5d and 7d
canon:24-70 f2.8,70-200 f4 L “non IS.28 f1.8 and zeiss ze 50 f1.4,canon 85 f1.8,rokinnon 14 f2.8 .85 ff1.4, 500/100 f8/16
i traded alot of lenses for this set tried to match it as much as possible .
do u think i have problem in my list?
how is the ze should i sell it for canon f1.4 ” cant afford the f1.2″ or it is not that big issue
how is the rokinon manual lenses any use?
plz help i shoot with different dops so plz help me match and arrang” yes sorry, money is anissue”
but as everyone iam going upon silver screen soon thxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
sorry for being long and booring and”weak in english as its not my language”

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@Randy Noland, For what it’s worth, I sold my 70-200mm f2.8 L IS and bought the II version and extender 1.4III. Amazing image. Also added the 100mm f2.8 L IS macro. Longer range telephoto Will have to wait and rent if urgent. Nice work w/C300 btw!

Great reviews on the important lenses. Very useful for anyone looking to extend his lens portfolio. Couple of comments:

EF 15 mm/2.8 Fisheye — One of the biggest issues with this lens is the metal lens hood. I don’t know what the engineers thought when they designed that one. The hood sits rather loose on the lens, and it can easily happen that it slips off and -eeek!- slides on the glass. I had my own solution for that: I took an old sock and stuffed the entire combo into it, so that the hood always sits tight on the lens.

24-70/2.8L and 70-200/2.8L II IS — Every single word you write about these lenses is true. Readers starting the photography career should take a look at these lenses first, before looking at specific lenses that cater to niches.

85/1.2L — I love the images this “jewel” takes, but the AF is really slow, the manual handling of the focus ring is weird, and I hate the fact that you can only focus when the camera is switched on. Also, finding a correct focus point is surprisingly difficult (esp. on a 1Ds III).

And one suggestion for you. You seem the right person to take a look at the Hartblei Zeiss lenses. Hartblei uses Zeiss medium format glass for DSLR mounts. Incredible gear. More at http://www.hartblei.de

Hi Vincent,
Thanks for all the great informations you gave here.
Very interesting. I’m a little confuse cos a lot of people suggest me to buy a IS lense especially for hand Filming… Is there anyone you would recommend with a great stabilization. Thanks

IS for video cameras is incredible. The IS for still lenses is not quite the same … it helps but not nearly as much as the video version of those lenses (that are only available with camcorders or high end video lenses.)

This really means a lot to me, because I was really wondering about that 24-70mmf2.8It was either a 7d with 3 lenses or just the 5dmkii with that 24-70mm budget wise. I just starting off and would like to have something that can shoot weddings and do portrait and fashion too… Doing it with just ONE lens will have to do, but thanks to you, I believe i’ll have no buyers remorse! And, after I pay my bank loan that I’m trying to get to buy my stuff, I’ll definitely try and get that 70-200, I was looking in to that one as well….Thanks! Tweet you later!

ps.
Be on the look out for that Tijuana based Wedding/PortraitFashion Photographer!

First let me say thank you for ALL the great information you provide. Heck the time involved in just this blog is greatly appreciated. Tons of great information. I am not a seasoned photographer If i have the chance to buy either 70-200mm f/2.8L vs 70-200mm f/4L IS for very little difference in cost what would be your suggestion. Or should I just continue to save for another month and get the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. Thanks for all your great information.

I think you’ll be fine w/ any of the 3. The 2.8 is a big advantage so I would go w/ that. The IS II is supposed to be incredibly sharp – but the others were too… so I don’t think it’ll change your life either way!

I’ve been debating in whether buying the Canon 60d now and buy some extra lenses or just wait a while more and buy the 7d and not as many lenses with it. I would be using it for both video and stills. What do you think? Thanks.

Hello Vincent, what are your thoughts on protective filters on L-Series lenses, for example the Hoya HD Clear Protection Class Filter on the 24-70mm f2.8? I recently invested in the 24-70mm f2.8 and now I’m contemplating how to protect this lens from dirt and more specifically accidental scratches. Some individuals tend to advice against it since you’re placing a cheap piece of glass in front of several glass elements designed to work together. Do you believe that this type of filter would have a negative impact on the image quality? Thank you.

Hi vincent, nice job u ve done here,am director from Africa -Nigeria,hv got a set of carl zeiss lens that came wit my letus ultimate 35mm adapter,now am about to buy cannon 7d to use the same lens. plz are they. Compatible with out using any ring adapter or something and are this lenses good for musical videeo and commercials .

Hi Vincent,
I am a pro musician and producer just getting into video, mostly for music related documentaries.
I bought the 5Dm2 almost 2 years ago and it came the 24-105mm f/f4 L IS USM lens. I also bought the inexpensive Canon Normal EF 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus Lens.

I really wanna get more and better better lenses also but also don’t want to spena a lot of money…I know this is relative.
Last week I bought the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens just to have a telephoto zoom.
But when I got home I started to read about oher lenses I realized I shot get a L lense and faster lenses.
I can still get my money back or trade it in for another lense.
I wanted to swap it for the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens cos te price is greatbut after reading your opinion I can’t decide. Please help.

Here are the candidates:
1- Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM Lens – here, the fact that it doesn’t have the IS feature will be a problem for shooting video?
2- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens (this one is no nger available at B&H but costs around $3000 here in Cape Town).
3- Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L USM Lens

I’d get the 70~200mm 2.8 hands down if you’re shooting concerts. That lens and the 24~70 are incredibly versatile for just about every photography/film genre. The 35mm 1.4 is a beautiful specialty lens – and one that I would go with personally – but that’s because I prefer to shoot w/ a fixed lens “(and bright lens) over zooms – but you have FAR less flexibility. I welcome the challenge personally – but not everyone can afford to do so.

have you tried the Zeiss LWZ.2 on the Epic? Does it cover the 5K sensor completely? And maybe also on the C300? Any opinion on the Angenieux DP series zooms, which unfortunately aren’t available in EF mount… ?

I’ve worked w/ the LWZ.2 quite a bit – but never on the Epic. My understanding is that it would work yes – can’t see why it wouldn’t. But I can’t speak from experience. Definitely would work on the C300. Have only worked w/ the Optimo and wide zoom from Angenieux. The Optimo is a dream… not yet w/ the DP series.

@Vincent Laforet,
as the sensor area in full 5k on the Epic is larger than Super 35, I thought the Zeiss and Angenieux might vignette, especially on the wide end, as for example the old Red 18-50 does (although it seems not all of them). Will try to get my hands on one in a rental house and check.
Thanks again!
martin

HI Vincent,
If I want to be able to “resize” my 5k image in post and use a “close up” out of a “wide shot”…
What would be, in your opinion, the sharpest lenses to be used with an EPIC 5K… red code 3:0.
Sharpest prime (25mm 35mm 85mm)
Sharpest zoom (that covers full body to close up)
thanks

Hi Vincent,
I currently own a Canon T2i and have a slightly flexible $2,200 budget to spend on new gear I decided the money would be better invested in glass rather than upgrading to a 5DMKII. Agreed?
***I primarily do video w/ some photography and have the standard 18-55mm kit lens and the 50mm f1.8.

I was hoping I could get your input on 3 different options I have researched and put together.

If you’re comfortable w/ Primes I would personally go in that direction – obviously the zooms will give you much greater flexibility. But I like brighter primes myself. Leica lenses are top notch – no reservations on those whatsoever except for price 😉

Vincent, Was wondering if you could help me, I have a 50mm Planar 1.4 T* and soon to arrive 35 2.4 and 20 2.8 Flektogon Carl Zeiss. I cannot seem to get my follow focus to work well on these lens as they are soo short. Another problem is how to get a follow focus and Matte box to use with these lens… Any suggestions?
The Follow focus hits the camera body before be able to touch the focus ring, My only other option it seems is to you focus ring gears that have those little feet to make the diameter of the ring larger but then there is still the problem of the MatteBox.. Anybody have any pictures of a similiar set up to see how it can be done?

There are good clip on matteboxes but they don’t tend to be standardized sizes on lenses so it’s tough. You’ll need to get a base rod support system and mount your FF and mattebox to rods and you’ll be fine.

@Vincent Laforet, Thanks for the reply. I have rods and everything. I have a gini rig, My problem is on the rods the follow focus hits the camera before making contact correctly lined up with the lens for lens gears. So I flipped the gear box but it looks if I try to butt up a matte box the gear box will hit the matte box. That seems to be my problem right now. I do not want to get a matte box on the rails if it will not work. Have you come across this problem with small carl zeiss lens? Also another stupid question,but I want to use some of my 67mm filters on the 55 thread, I need step down adaptor correct? Not step up? I cannot believe I cannot get it..hahaha Thanks for any more suggestions or help.

Yes – step down 😉 no problem at all. The size is always frustrating w/ HDSLRs – have you tried running the FF on rods mounted ABOVE the camera (mounted to hot shoe and mattebox as well) and mounting the mattebox by rods on the base of the camera? Otherwise you may need to look to different MB / FF combinations.

I’ve got the 7D and I’m looking for an extremely sharp, wide-angle prime for outdoor commercial still shots of people and/or products. I’d probably also want to use it for a bit of basic online video blogs and interviews. Do you suppose the 24mm would be wide enough or should I consider dropping down to the 14mm on the cropped sensor? How do those two compare in the area of sharpness?

I’m aiming to shoot Vincent Laforet – type films and such and
I have a 10k budget for a 5D Mark II and about 5 lenses. Tell me what I should or should not go for, or if I’m making the right choices for a full, “all I need” type of camera-lens set up.

Unless you love wideangles for dramatic effect – you might do better w/ a cheaper Zeiss prime to cover the wide angle of your choice.. the 16~35mm is a mainstay in still photography – but I seldom use it in narrative… I do use my 18mm Zeiss prime quite often though or even a 14mm Canon 2.8… you could also save a TON of money by buying a 50mm 1.8 and a 85mm 1.8 FYI – the other lenses are AMAZING lenses – but how often will you shoot motion that wide open? some do – others don’t – just giving you budget options. Also – wait to get the 24~70mm 2.8 II that has just been announced if you can wait. Cheers – v

Okay, okay – I’m listening to everything! I’ll pre order the 24-70mm II.
So, I WILL be shooting stills with this stuff as well, I failed to mention this before. So do you still think I should dump the L-Series glasses for the 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8?

Hey Vincent How are you? Really like your stuff and your Blog, Thanks. Also grateful that you always reply quickly…
Have a question, I have been shooitng a lot of architecture stuff for my girlfriend and I am getting Moire OTA in alot of my shots.. I cannot believe so many people using this camera for Big jobs Yet moire seems to be a BIG problem. Just wondering how do you deal with it??? Also if you fix anything in post HOW? What Progam or Plug in possible. I do know about those speciall expensive filters but I do not imagine everyone is using those.
Can you please offer some suggestions PLEASE? It is driving crazy. I have change focal lenths aperture and everything to try and get less moire.. Is it less on the 7D by the way? Or the same?
THANK YOU for any Suggestions or links to find help, specially on Fixing it in post if possible..

7D is worse! There is a solution to put a filter in front of the sensor – but that limits your lens choice – notably u can’t use lenses wider than 24mm… Which is a big bummer for architecture of course – you therefore fall in the group of users who would benefit greatly from upgrading to the 5d mkiii – v

[…] recently updated the Lenses section of my gear page to include the new Canon CInema EOS zooms and primes – and I have broken the section down into two sections – Cine glass and still Canon EF glass […]

Curiously, you are specifying an EF 24-70 2.8 L *II* lens, which is not available yet. Are you basing your review on this lens or its (much cheaper) predecessor? The Canon blurp is from the Mark I lens. Personally, I’m a bit stumped they bumped the price up by that much and neglegted IS for video in the MKII version… Regardless of its magical sharpness.

Hi Vincent.
I have been so tempted to purchase the 85mm Zeiss CP.2 lense. I currently owned the Zeiss telephoto 85mm f/1.4 ZE Panar T Manual focus lens for canon EOS. I have been searching for answers to determine the differences. I am interested to know if there is a significance difference regarding resolution and sharpness in your experience between those lenses. I am a filmmaker, using 5DMK2.

I am told by Zeiss that the “top” glass is used for the CP.2 lenses – but it is otherwise effectively the same as the ZE lens optically. You will however notice a significant advantage in terms of the obvious physical functioning (focus marks, smooth iris, 300 degree pull in focus, precise focusing marks, of the lens especially in cinema.

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I have a 550D and I want to start taking crystal clear stills as well video.

I want to do a short zombie film, shot in a convenient store at night, what would you suggest as a first lens, from what I’ve heard that the 50mm f1.4 is great but are there any other lenses that you could recommend, I have a limited budget of about $500 :/

Hi Vincent,
Im planning to rent a Zeiss cp2 for a shooting and I would like to know if there will be a visible difference in the footage from Canon L Zoom lenses to a Zeiss cp2 lens. I can only rent one zeiss cp2 lens, so mixing them with the zoom lenses would be bad?

And what Zeiss cp2 lens has impressed you most about image quality and sharpness? Im thinking about the 25mm or the 85mm

Unless you are projecting it on a 50 foot screen – it’s unlikely others will notice too much of a difference. There is a significant difference in lens sharpness etc amongst different brands of course.

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Having tripods, glidecam, dolly, etc. in the shooting, do I still have any advantage using lens with image stabilizer? Or can i go for 16-35mm, 24-70mm lens without fear?
(the 70-200mm have IS so its fine)

I have a 24-70 and it isn’t sharp from edge to edge and at different apertures. I compared it with a friend’s 24-105 at the same shoot, same distance, same shutter speed & aperture and his lens was sharper. I think it is most likely Lens to lens & owner to owner. My 24-70 is okay, and at sharper apertures and shooting flash, it is sharp. But using it wide open it is moody and my results vary with distance, aperture and shutter speed. I”m ready to buy a new 24-70 because of the 2.8 speed and I think they might have a new version of it….

@Vincent Laforet,
i checked the lens but it seems to be a bit costly for me and at the moment m not in a state to invest that much.
i had a look at canon 50mm 1.8 II
so can u suggest will that will be a good buy.

On the 7D, what is a better all around lens for shooting photography where I may need to get both wide and close up, with the possibility of low light being an issue at times. I’m going to be doing some photography at a film festival this weekend, and am hoping to only need to carry around one lens with me since I’ll be moving fast.

I’m thinking of getting a Canon 24-70 lens. The goal is to primarily use the lens for videography. Is it worth it to spend $1000 more on the 24-70 II rather than the I? I take photos casually/recreationally but have had thoughts of being serious. But point is, is there that much of a difference from 24-70 I and 24-70 II in terms of videography purposes?

Do you have any experience with Samyang lenses (i think they are branded as Rokinon in the US). A friend of mine is traveling into the real rural interiors of central interiors where he doesn’t want to carry his expensive L primes for obvious reasons of theft etc. He is shooting on a 7D and a 5D2.

Samyang seems to be making a lot of noise here in india with cine (they brand it is VDSLR) with its price point. You could but the entire range of lenses from 8mm – 85mm (they have about 5 in total in their cine range) for just about 1600USD!

Hello Vincent,
I don’t know if you have ever had an opportunity to shoot air races shows but if you were asked to pick one set of lenses to mount on a C300 (knowing you’re trying to filming airplanes from a helicopter in a run-gun kind of way and also capturing some indoors interviews as well, but you’re limited in budget), what would be a good basic lens kit choice?
Thanks

Any Canon long fixed lens… ideally the 30~300mm Cine lens (that I would RENT!) – or the zooms are good such as the 100~400mm but very very tough to focus but the jets don’t tend to come too close so… that might work.

I’ve been trying to find some information regarding the differences between Samyang Cine lenses and Canon L Series lenses. Is there much difference in the quality? Any notable differences that would affect my decision?

I am just starting my career as a sports videographer with a Canon 60D. During the day, I have very little difficulty but I have encountered an issue with lens breathing when I shoot night time soccer matches. Because the match goes at such a pace I find myself refocusing constantly. If you need any additional information, I understand. Thank you for your time.

I’m not sure you mean “breathing” that means that the image is getting smaller or larger based on fast focusing switches. Are you talking about a focusing shift as you zoom? If so the only solution is a cinema lens designed NOT to do this – Canon still lenses are not. You may also be talking about focusing simply – and that is the single hardest thing to do in sports besides panning/tilting to keep up with action. It requires a tremendous amount of skill – but you can use Peaking / of Focus assist that other systems have but Canon doesn’t yet. You can also use external monitor that might have such features.

Hi Vincent,
Love your blog and really appreciate all the info you share! I’m looking to add a macro lens to my 5D mkii video kit (set of Canon Non-L Primes, 28, 50, and 85), and I’m looking at the Tamron 90mm with image stabilization vs the Canon 100mm (non-L) without image stabilization. Is mixing brands of modern lenses a problem? I’m on a budget, so the Tamron looks mighty good with the image stabilization. The build and image quality looks pretty comparable from my research. Do you know any red flags with the Tamron?

Very detailed and professional review. I got a question: I have three lens EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens and 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, are they good enough for normal shooting?